A successful ground and air attack would leave Ukrainian cities in ruin. If Putin is actually bluffing and positioning himself for a negotiated ceasefire, the p

A successful ground and air attack would leave Ukrainian cities in ruin. If Putin is actually bluffing and positioning himself for a negotiated ceasefire, the potential devastation of Ukrainian cities is a thing of value in those negotiations. Why spend it and gain nothing in exchange? Maybe Putin is holding back the ground and air attack so he can use that threat as a bargaining chip. Putin is the kind of man who would not hesitate to push a threat to the extreme no matter what the humanitarian cost if it eventually gave him a worthwhile advantage.